Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

by usualusername1 1 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  usualusername1

  The Short Version
  What you experience before your 18th birthday has a direct impact on your mental and physical health.

  Tell me more
  Dr Felitti created a test of experiences/traumas before your 18th birthday. Over 17,000 people took part and over 70 follow up studies have verified the findings. In essence the higher your ACEs score the more risk you have mentally and physically. You can take the test here https://acestoohigh.com/got-your-ace-score/

  Give me even more
  Dr Felitti worked for a Private health firm on helping patients with obesity. One patient was morbidly obese (circa 120kgs) and after support dropped to circa 50kgs. Then a few months later she was heavier then when morbidly obese. He asked his patient what happened. When she had lost her weight someone at worked flirted with her and it freaked her out. In a panic she became overweight again. After more interviews he found out that she has been sexually abused by her father. Her obesity appeared to have nothing to do with food. He then identified other sources of trauma and came up with a list of 10.
  
  The test can be completed in the link above but is in full below:

  Prior to your 18th birthday:

  1. Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often… Swear at you, insult you, put you down, or humiliate you? or Act in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt?

  2. Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often… Push, grab, slap, or throw something at you? or Ever hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured?

  3. Did an adult or person at least 5 years older than you ever… Touch or fondle you or have you touch their body in a sexual way? or Attempt or actually have oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse with you?

  4. Did you often or very often feel that … No one in your family loved you or thought you were important or special? or Your family didn’t look out for each other, feel close to each other, or support each other?

  5. Did you often or very often feel that … You didn’t have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, and had no one to protect you? or Your parents were too drunk or high to take care of you or take you to the doctor if you needed it?

  6. Were your parents ever separated or divorced?

  7. Was your mother or stepmother:
  Often or very often pushed, grabbed, slapped, or had something thrown at her? or Sometimes, often, or very often kicked, bitten, hit with a fist, or hit with something hard? or Ever repeatedly hit over at least a few minutes or threatened with a gun or knife?

  8. Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic, or who used street drugs?

  9. Was a household member depressed or mentally ill, or did a household member attempt suicide?

  10. Did a household member go to prison?
  

  Now add up your “Yes” answers: _ This is your ACE Score

  
  Who was tested?
  Over 17,000 patients agreed to the test. 75% were white and 75% had degrees. All were middle class.

  Even though 10 sources of trauma were identified many other factors could count:

  · Born in a cult

  · Poverty

  · Racism

  · Bullying

  What do the scores mean?
  
  The following are average ACE scores
  Score 0 36%
  Score 1 26%
  Score 2 16%
  Score 3 9.5%
  Score 4+ 12.5%
  
  If your score is 4 or more:

  • 66% chance of chronic depression for a woman and 35% for men
  • Increased chance of taking anti-depressants
  • Score of 6 compared to zero increase suicide attempts by 5000%
  • Smoking, alcoholism, obesity, unwanted pregnancies, heart disease, liver disease, cancer and emphysema all increase drastically with a score of four or more.
  • Score of 6 or more reduces your life by 20 years

  My score is 8 and I have PTSD. I am getting weekly therapy from a trauma counsellor, reading “The Body Keeps The Score” and doing yoga to get better.
  
  Take care
  
  Paul
  
  
  
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  Half banana

  Very interesting information. It shows how unthinking and immature parents take their own frustrations out on their children which passes the problems on to the next generation. A high ACE number will handicap anyone and as your post shows even make them more susceptible to disease.

  A likely pattern of children suffering parental abuse is to have low self esteem or abuse themselves with drink, drugs or anti-depressants -- or turn to a religious faith which promises to remedy these behaviours. It is not surprising that the ranks of JWs are full of such unfortunate people but alas the new substitute parent; the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses use similar abusive methods to control their flock mentally and emotionally. Religion is described as an 'opiate'. The fear of death at a fictional doomsday and the threat of being cut off from one's family and congregation are powerful emotional manipulators employed within a cult.

  I suppose this means two things: always consider the emotional needs of our children and second, never have anything to do with Jehovah's Witnesses.